The most critical component to a successful capstone project is having an enthusiastic and engaged Community Partner. The spirit of this project is to advance energy and/or sustainability-related initiatives in your own community while affording you the opportunity to network in your own backyard. Your partnership could be with a non-profit organization, local business owner, or government entity. You'll work with them to establish or advance some energy and/or sustainability related initiative with policy implications (either at the local level or within their organization). Because this partnership will be central to your experience in the capstone semester, we need to establish it early so that you and your partner can then start solidifying the work you'll do for them during the semester itself.
EME 466 Enrollment Approval Process
- Contact your academic adviser to confirm that you are eligible to take EME 466. As the capstone course, it should be taken in your last semester and before (not concurrent with) its stated prerequisite courses (GEOG 30N, CAS 100, and GEOG 432).
- Review the Capstone Project Overview as well as other associated components of the project noted on this course website.
- Connect with prospective Community Partners in your town to identify possible opportunities for partnership. The starting point is a community partner you want to work with (and who wants to work with you) and a topic of interest and value to them. We’re trying to advance something they’re already interested in and possibly invested in but perhaps don’t have the staff resources to work on right now while providing you with a good networking opportunity right in your own backyard.
- Decide with your chosen Community Partner: (1) the scope of work you'll be doing for them over the course of a semester and (2) the types of deliverables your work will produce for them.
- Submit your draft project scope and deliverables to the instructor for consideration and revision. Note, it's often the case the Community Partner plays a continued role in this piece as we refine the project.
- The EME 466 instructor and the student will work to refine the project so it's an appropirate amount and level of work for an undergraduate capstone.
- The EME 466 instructor approves the project.
- The student provides a Project Agreement to the Community Partner for signature.
- Once the Project Agreement is fully executed (student, instructor, Community Partner), the instructor will register the student for the course.
- The instructor will reach out to everyone to set up a kickff call for the first week of the semester.
Deadlines:
To be considered for enrollment in the course, you must have submitted a potential project scope with deliverables for a prospective partner you've already approached by the following dates:
- October 15 for spring semester enrollment
- July 15 for fall semester enrollment
- April 15 for summer semester enrollment (note: the capstone is not always offered in summer semesters)